By Nance Ebert
Contributing Writer
WALTHAM – Jon Berit started running as a kid and hasn’t slowed down yet. A competitive track and field athlete since the age of thirteen, he has competed in eight Boston Marathons, 11 USA National Cross-Country Championships, and the USA World Cross-Country Trials, and has earned silver, bronze and gold medals.
‘Liberating and thrilling’
“I am 66 years old, and I can compete against college kids,” said Berit. “I still have such a love for the sport, and I train each week, which takes discipline. I have been a longtime member of the Greater Boston Track Club and have met so many amazing people while competing, from Olympians to world record holders,” he added. “I find the sport liberating and thrilling. My indoor meet schedule will conclude in March of 2025 representing the USA in the World Masters Championship to be held in Gainesville, Florida.”
As a licensed master electrician with his own business since 2011, Berit has had flexibility in his work schedule to allow for his training and competitions. He recently closed that business and was in the computer industry for about twenty years prior to that. He also has been working at Home Depot in Waltham for the past 25 years, which he finds very rewarding.
Berit said one of his favorite events for most of his career has been the 800 meters, although he now prefers the 60 meters, which is held indoors. He shared that he has ran close to 200 races involving the 800 meters event in his 50-plus years of competing. He said he has run in every event in the sport.
Chronicling his journey
He recently published a memoir about his athletic career, “Two Clicks Above Mediocre: An Athlete’s Story.” The impetus for writing his memoir was simply that he knew other athletes who did something similar. He started with a Microsoft Word document in chronological order and wrote whenever he felt like it. This side project kept him busy for twelve years. He relied on old newspaper clippings to help refresh his memory and get all the facts straight.
“Since I have trained with and competed against Olympic talent and world record holders, I thought, “Why not?” I have had a very interesting journey that I think others would enjoy reading about,” said Berit. “I realize this is a niche book and might not be for fans of your basic American sports like hockey, football, basketball or baseball, but I have been getting great feedback from many who have read it.”
His wife’s uncle published a book with Page Publishing, so he decided to try them as well. He sent some of his manuscript via email and an hour later he got a call from one of their literary agents who seemed excited. The agent presented it to their board and with rave reviews they agreed to publish it.
“I was totally surprised. They sent me a contract and assigned a coordinator. There was an author portal with the process and because I knew what I wanted the book to look like, it helped move the process along smoothly. I am still tickled to death with my book being published. I have already gotten great reviews on Amazon,” said Berit.
Training regimen
Because he trains weekly, he boasted that he can eat whatever he wants, and no special diet is followed. He credits his strength to keeping physically active. He currently spends two to four days each week in the weight room for about an hour or so training his upper and lower body. He does one hard track session each week and, in the winter, he goes to an indoor facility like the Reggie Lewis Center in Roxbury and he also has access to an indoor track at Harvard University and Boston University.
He said he has had so many highlights in his career that there’s too many to list. Some include competing in the USA World Cross Country Trials in 1987, and winning a gold medal in the 400-meter event at the 2022 State Games of America meet in Ames, Iowa, which is recognized as a national championship.
Berit has spent most of his life involved in track and field, training, competing and all that it encompasses. His memoir is deeply personal and reflective and shares with the reader the story of his long competitive career.
To learn more about Berit’s journey, you can purchase “Two Clicks Above Mediocre: An Athlete’s Story” on Amazon.
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